SHUCKED will close January 14, 2024; TOMMY rumored for the Nederlander- Page 2

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 12:34pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "I’m shockedHere Lies Loveonly has a $700,000 weekly running cost with that insane theatre setup.

Nearly all new musicals that open on Broadway post-COVID seem to run 9-10 months in a best-case scenario. Entertainment habits have changed, ticket prices are obscene, and even if audiences eventually return in pre-COVID numbers sometime these next few full seasons, they’ll gravitate more towards old favorites that have been in excellent shape for many years. Longevity has become a pre-pandemic sensation."

That might be the running cost with the creative team & service providers waiving their weekly fees/royalties, which brings everything down a bit and can help a show last a little longer. Somehow I had 950 in my head but I don't know where that came from.

[pablitonizer]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 12:38pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "I’m shockedHere Lies Loveonly has a $700,000 weekly running cost with that insane theatre setup.

Nearly all new musicals that open on Broadway post-COVID seem to run 9-10 months in a best-case scenario. Entertainment habits have changed, ticket prices are obscene, and even if audiences eventually return in pre-COVID numbers sometime these next few full seasons, they’ll gravitate more towards old favorites that have been in excellent shape for many years. Longevity has become a pre-pandemic sensation.
"

My thoughts exactly. No way HLL weekly costs is $700,000 whereas Once upon a one more time was $ 900,000 weekly. Something does not add up 

 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 12:38pm

We can count on Tommy definitely taking the Nederlander. Zero chance Michael Paulson would even mention another production if he didn't already have the story.

This week has been abnormally quiet for a week in mid-October with so much left to announce for the Spring. Have to wonder if the world headlines had productions pushing their announcements. We'll see next week.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 12:41pm

OhHiii said: "This week has been abnormally quiet for a week in mid-October with so much left to announce for the Spring. Have to wonder if the world headlines had productions pushing their announcements. We'll see next week."

Possibly. It's also quite the strategic move to embargo the SHUCKED closing notice to the same time as GUTENBERG's opening night press. (They share a press agent, who was probably assuming better for GUT to help mask the SHUCKED news)

[bdn223]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 1:21pm

From my understanding producers are actively looking to move the show to another theater as the show has consistently made money since Tony nominations came out. It wasn't making a ton of money, nor was it on track to recoup its investment, but was still consistently turning a profit. I had some friends who were at Glass House last night also tell me the cast was there after the news broke and they overheard them discussing where they think they might move. So the question at this point seems like will it be moving to a different Broadway house or New World Stages.

All of shows press release's seem to indicate that as well with no mention of a Broadway closing and instead stressing final performance AT THE NEDERLANDER on January 14th. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 1:24pm

This show would be perfect for New World Stages. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 2:05pm

Not sure it would last off Broadway but it’s a simple show with a simple set etc. it’ll do well on tour and regionally. 

To me, it’s a show that doesn’t demand the high ticket price. So for a cheap off Broadway night out I can see it doing well. 

Seems like a good fit for Tommy.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 3:00pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "This show would be perfect for New World Stages."

Perfect. And I think it will run for a long time there like Avenue Q did. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 4:32pm

Sutton Ross said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "This show would be perfect for New World Stages."

Perfect. And I think it will run for a long time there like Avenue Q did."

 

My thought also. Avenue Q had a great run at NWS and I think SHUCKED would fit perfectly in Stage 1 or 3. 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 8:54pm

Avenue Q had a gimmick, ran for years on Broadway, and won the Tony. Not sure this will have the same tourist appeal. I would have thought Kinky Boots would have been a huge hit off Broadway but alas. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 8:59pm

I just re-read The New York Times review for Shucked.

Ouch.

I think I agree......although, I wasn't a fan of Tootsie either. 

[inception]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 12:44am

RippedMan said: "Avenue Q had a gimmick, ran for years on Broadway, and won the Tony. Not sure this will have the same tourist appeal. I would have thought Kinky Boots would have been a huge hit off Broadway but alas."

By the time they tried bringing KB to NWS there had been local regional productions across the continent.  One of my co-workers saw a local production last summer & had been so excited about going, but afterwards was very disappointed because the production values just were not what she had been expecting.  The brand really gets devalued, occasional theatre goers feel "burned," & become wary of going out again.  It might be different if they hadn't licensed use of the official logo along with performance rights.  Maybe if the advertising was somebody's bad sketch on Paint, people might be less disappointed when at the local rec centre they get an 80 year old Lola with a walker & orthopedic shoes.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 7:03am

Guess so! I’d assume it would have done gangbusters. But I didn’t find the Broadway production value to be all that impressive. 

[TarHeelAlan]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 7:24am

Jordan Catalano said: "Oooooh, I hope the at “Tommy” rumor is true!!!"

I second that emotion!

Q: Assuming the rumor is true, can anyone provide an educated guess on the earliest Tommy could realistically open (or at least go into previews) on Broadway? 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 7:31am

I’d assume March. 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 11:33am

I will be interested to see what happens with Shucked. Had it not been for Omicron, Waitress was poised for a very smooth transfer to NWS after its Barrymore run. That and the failure of Kinky Boots haven't made these transfers seem viable, but Titanique and Little Shop should be studied for breathing life into commercial off-Broadway where it hasn't been in decades.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 11:46am

In my eyes, Waitress should have been an off-Broadway show from the beginning. It has a great score, but always found it lost its charm in larger spaces (even a mid-sized Broadway house). 
 

I would have liked it 10x more at NWS

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 6:59pm

inception said: "RippedMan said: "Avenue Q had a gimmick, ran for years on Broadway, and won the Tony. Not sure this will have the same tourist appeal. I would have thought Kinky Boots would have been a huge hit off Broadway but alas."

By the time they tried bringing KB to NWS there had been local regional productions across the continent. One of my co-workers saw a local production last summer & had been so excited about going, but afterwards was very disappointed because the production values just were not what she had been expecting. The brand really gets devalued, occasional theatre goers feel "burned," & become wary of going out again. It might be different if they hadn't licensed use of the official logo along with performance rights. Maybe if the advertising was somebody's bad sketch on Paint, people might be less disappointed when at the local rec centre they get an 80 year old Lola with a walker & orthopedic shoes."

It was at Stage 42, not NWS. But still a Shubert house.

 

[GoldenGiggery]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 9:57am

TBH, I think the main reason Shucked is closing, is because (speculation) Alex Newell didn't want to renew their contract, and the producers know Alex is their biggest draw. Best to close while you're still doing decently and not in danger of spiraling into HLL/SIB territory. 

I'm sad Broadway is losing this sleeper hit, but I'm happy for the considerable unsuspecting draw it became. For a show not based on a preexisting property that was REALLY struggling to sell tickets prior to previews starting, 10 months is a respectable run.  I'm excited for the tour life this show will have (as this seemed to really draw in tourists w/out kids), and like others here, hope this will transfer off-bway. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 2:05am

There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of the stop clause and its use. Aside from limited runs and breaches of the booking agreement, the stop clause simply outlines the steps needed for a show to close. It can be invoked by either the landlord, or by the show's producer (it prevents producers from moving hit shows into larger, competing theaters).

The stop clause amount is based on the weekly gross box office revenue for a theater at full, non-discounted capacity, so most closing shows we talk about clearly have met the conditions and would be closing under the conditions of the stop clause (basically, it's a written notice from either party, given at a week's notice of the closing, which can be extended by agreement... but the extended date is firm). 

Aside from any material breach of the agreement or uncontrollable conditions (which are outlined in the contract), the only way to close an open run without the stop clause is by a separate, mutual agreement. Producers of a show like The Music Man or Sweeney Todd would instesd possibly have an addendum to address closing the show if no viable star replacement can be found. 

All of this is based on the agreements I've seen from the Shuberts, but aside from small details, they aren't likely to be fundamentally different than the other landlords. They also are standardized, so the language in each agreement is mostly the same. 

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 10:00am

Is the Nederlander a big enough house for Tommy?

I saw Tommy at the Goodman in Chicago, which is not a very big theater. I don't know how it compares to the Nederlander, but I'm guessing most any Broadway house could accommodate it, at least any house that frequently is used for musicals.

[Mr.Liir]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:03am

This is not true (re: Alex).

This is a case of a show needing a house (they had one, and are unable to move in now), and the potential for that new show (Tommy) to be greater than the potential longevity and money-making ability of Shucked. The Nederlander is owned outright and I suspect that contractually/legally, if J. Ned. wants to evict a show, he can do it. This has nothing to do with Alex.  

Updated On: 10/16/23 at 11:03 AM

[soxboy22]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 2:13pm

If my show were on the edge I’d pray (invite) Tay Swift to attend and get a quote. I think she’s in the area, don’t know if she attends Broadway.

[Alex M]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 4:05pm

soxboy22 said: "If my show were on the edge I’d pray (invite) Tay Swift to attend and get a quote. I think she’s in the area, don’t know if she attends Broadway."

what?

[veronicamae]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 9:37pm

Alex M said: "soxboy22 said: "If my show were on the edge I’d pray (invite) Tay Swift to attend and get a quote. I think she’s in the area, don’t know if she attends Broadway."

what?"

They are saying Taylor Swift, who lives in Tribeca (the area), tends to have the golden touch in that anything she says she likes instantly sells out and becomes the biggest thing since the last thing she liked. The most recent example is that sales for tickets to the Kansas City Chiefs increased 400% once she attended a game to see her then-only-rumored boyfriend play in the game. In other words, if only Shucked could have Taylor Swift attend the show and give them a pull quote to use in their advertising/post about it on her social media, etc...

Most any show/brand hopes for the same. Similar comments were made in relation to the potential of her becoming a co-pro on The Notebook because she's friends with Ingrid Michaelson - that by doing so she would be endorsing the show and it would become a hit.